Don't Judge

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, Allah does not look at your appearance or wealth, but rather He looks at your hearts and actions.”

What does this hadith remind you of? It remind us of the common saying of “don't judge a book by it’s cover”.

The moral behind this hadith  is that individuals who are living in poverty and are on the lowest level of the social pyramid, can have the purest heart.

In today's society we judge a person by their financial status, what college they go to, or what position they are in the class, but not the manner they treat other people in. We have our own expectations that we judge people through, and it’s hard to change it because we continue withholding this habit.

In Allah’s eyes, the person who uses their wealth to benefit the ummah is the highest. Social status or how “cool” you are is a prestigious worldly goal for people; many people go to extremes to prove themselves to their friends. In the end, all of this is useless. Why bother to put effort in pleasing other people when your final assessment is whether you pleased Allah or not? What is more beneficial to you in the long run? Impressing your friends or achieving a high status in Allah (SWT's) eyes?

You never know what struggles a person is going through in their lives. The people who you think look “bad” may be more sincere than you. Someone you think has a strong faith may be doing terrible things behind your back. The important thing is that you don’t know their intentions and you do not have a right to judge them based off your own assumptions.

Take a look at the picture below. It’s a great example of how we end up judging others.

Judging Others

So, purify your heart, your intentions, and help a brother/sister in need. At the end of the day, your good deeds by far exceed any worldly pleasures.